The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-06-11
AN IMPOSING CEREMONY.
The Beautiful Ceremonies Attending
the Celebration Of Mill
tary Mass.
THREE TIMES THE KNEEL|NG

Soldiers Fire q Volley in Recognition Of
the Real Presence, Human
and Divine.
On a delightful morning in Septem-
Der, 1885, I had the happiness, narrates
r. J. McHugh in Ave Maria, of wit
Messing most beautiful and imposing
ceremony, one which greatly impressed
me at the time and is still remembered
with feelings of no ordinary pleasure.
I had just returned to lnnispruck, from
the GOODNESS and quiet OF Matrei, in
time for the closing scenes Of the great
annual Schutzenfest, which was held
that year in the Tryolese capital. AS
was hurrying towards the Capuchin
monastery, Oh the morning after my az
rival in the city, in order to be in time
for eight o'clock Mass, whom should J
meet but my friend, Father P, who
greeted me with the cherry call, "Why.
halo, stranger. Whittier away SO fast? %
And to my reply, he cried: mo: not to
the Capuchins, but to the barrack yard;
the shooting festival closes this morn
ing with & field Mass, iii presence (sjc)
or the Archduke Albrecht, and we have
but few moments before it begins"
Long before this had thought had
seen ali of the military life that offered
any attraction--all that was in any way
tinged with romance Or were the rosy
tinted ga1b of poesy. had gaZed on
prancing steeds and waving peDnants
until the sight had grown monotonous:
l had been an eager spectator at sham
battles and grand reviews. until ga
lodge in some vast wilderness" would
have been hailed with delight; had
seen, in fact, ''all the pride, pomp and
circumstance Of glorious wal," without
the attendant horrors, and yet q field
Mass it had meyer been my fortune to
behold. / heartily fell in with my
friends proposal, therefore, and in g few
minutes we were among The favored
ones who gathered in the great, walled
square behind the Earrack to see the
soldiers Mass.
The troops were not yet assembled on
our arrival, but beneath the canopy
stood the Archduke surrounded by his
staff; their green plumes nodlIiug in the
treeze, and their jeweled stars and
crusses sparkling in the morning light.
A priedien; covered with crimson plush,
was prepared for his imperial highness,
but for the officers was neither kneeling
bench or chair. The little altar s'plaiyl
in it's neatness,' was erected en- a. small
platform which extended from the sec
ond story at the rear of the barrack.
All the arrangements for the Holy Sac
ridce were as simple and unpretentious
as possible--srch. indeed. as could cas-
lily be made in the open field OF
the morning Of the battle. But now we
are thrilled with eager expectation; for
the merry notes Of the March to Inns
pruck" fill the air, and in another mo-
ment the Kaiser-Ja ger regiment, headed
by their magnificent band juni-
versally Acknowledged to be the
best band in Europe at the
present day,j ca.ne proudly march
ing into view Rank behind rank they
pour into the spacious gates and fill the
barrack square. stalwart, gallant lads
they are--aye, every mothers son Of
them. With heads erectand lofty bear
ing, they sweep along, their bayonets
flashing i'll the sun like the waves Of
summer sea. In ten minutes more they
are drawn up in position. each company
in it's allotted place. The Archduke
waves q courteous salute to the officers
Of his staff, and retires to the priedjeu;
the officers, in turn, cease heirchattlng,
remove their helmets and stand in re-
spectful attitudes, awaiting the ap-
proach of the venerable, gray-haired
chaplain, who presently entered, at
tended by two Franciscan friars, and
sprinkles the group with holy water.
The Mass, with two young cadets: as
servers, begins shortly after. AS the
celebrant ascends the steps Of the altar,
after the Psalm Introibo. an officer in
uniform comes to an adjacent window,
and signals with a snow white kerchief;
the bngles with a merry tara-tarantara
interpret the signal for the mounted
aids, who Immediately put spurs to
their horses and carry the message from
company to company throughout the
square, s;Gebet Acht!'' "Gebet Feuer!"
ring out in quick succession from the
several captains, and the air is rent by
a sudden peal. Before the light clouds
of smoke dissolve, the band starts up
and discourses solemn music until the
conclusion of the Credo, when the rifles
again shake the battlements Of heaven
with Amen prolonged and loud. At
the offering and throughout the pray ers
and ceremonies Immediately following,
until the Preface the strains from the
instruments are al
-, oe< ooloo+ia1 in fhoir o17h111ad and fan.